The Group Analytic Society International was founded in London in 1952 by

S. H. Foulkes S. H. Foulkes ( ; born Siegmund Heinrich Fuchs; 3 September 1898 – 8 July 1976) was a German-British psychiatrist and psychoanalyst. He developed a theory of group behaviour that led to his founding of group analysis, a variant of group therap ...

, Minnie (Jane) Abercrombie and Norbert Elias as a

learned society A learned society (; also learned academy, scholarly society, or academic association) is an organization that exists to promote an discipline (academia), academic discipline, profession, or a group of related disciplines such as the arts and s ...

to study and promote the development of

Group Analysis Group analysis (or group analytic psychotherapy) is a method of group psychotherapy originated by S. H. Foulkes in the 1940s. Group psychotherapy was pioneered by S. H. Foulkes with his psychoanalytic patients and later with soldiers in the Nort ...

in both its clinical and applied aspects. The first regular weekly seminars were given by Foulkes in 1952. Members of the Society come from different countries and from many fields and disciplines, including

psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries betwe ...

sociology Sociology is a social science that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. It uses various methods of Empirical ...

medicine Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pract ...

nursing Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health ...

social work Social work is an academic discipline and practice-based profession concerned with meeting the basic needs of individuals, families, groups, communities, and society as a whole to enhance their individual and collective well-being. Social work ...

counselling Counseling is the professional guidance of the individual by utilizing psychological methods especially in collecting case history data, using various techniques of the personal interview, and testing interests and aptitudes. This is a list of co ...

education Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. Va ...

industry Industry may refer to: Economics * Industry (economics), a generally categorized branch of economic activity * Industry (manufacturing), a specific branch of economic activity, typically in factories with machinery * The wider industrial sector ...

architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing building ...

anthropology Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including past human species. Social anthropology studies patterns of behavi ...

and

theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

. The following individuals were Founder Members: Dr. James Anthony, Dr

Patrick De Mare Patrick may refer to: *Patrick (given name), list of people and fictional characters with this name * Patrick (surname), list of people with this name People *Saint Patrick (c. 385–c. 461), Christian saint *Gilla Pátraic (died 1084), Patrick o ...

, the Hon. W. H. R. Iliffe and

. They were joined from the beginning by

Minnie Abercrombie Minnie Abercrombie (14 November 1909 – 25 November 1984), also known as M. L. J. Abercrombie, was a British zoologist, educationalist and psychologist. She was known for her work on invertebrates and her work in the publishing industry, condu ...

, Dr

Norbert Elias Norbert Elias (; 22 June 1897 – 1 August 1990) was a German sociologist who later became a British citizen. He is especially famous for his theory of civilizing/decivilizing processes. Biography Elias was born on 22 June 1897 in Bresla ...

and Miss E. T. Marx. The Society, which has

charitable status A charitable organization or charity is an organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being (e.g. educational, religious or other activities serving the public interest or common good). The legal definition of a ch ...

, is a learned society and a

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

. It holds regular scientific meetings and organizes various workshops, including an annual one in January. A triennial European

symposium In ancient Greece, the symposium ( grc-gre, συμπόσιον ''symposion'' or ''symposio'', from συμπίνειν ''sympinein'', "to drink together") was a part of a banquet that took place after the meal, when drinking for pleasure was acc ...

is held at various European locations. An annual S. H. Foulkes lecture for a wider public has been held in London since 1977; the lectures are published in the journal Group Analysis.Pines, Malcolm (ed) (2000). ''The Evolution of Group Analysis.'' International Library of Group Analysis, Jessica Kingsley.

Background

After the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, and after the experiments in treating soldiers by group methods at

Northfield Hospital Hollymoor Hospital was a psychiatric hospital located at Tessall Lane, Northfield in Birmingham, England, and is famous primarily for the work on group psychotherapy that took place there in the years of the Second World War. It closed in 1994. H ...

near Birmingham, a circle of colleagues interested in furthering their understanding of groups and how to apply

group psychotherapy Group psychotherapy or group therapy is a form of psychotherapy in which one or more therapists treat a small group of clients together as a group. The term can legitimately refer to any form of psychotherapy when delivered in a group format, ...

met regularly with Foulkes. In 1971, leading members of the Society set up the

Institute of Group Analysis The Institute of Group Analysis is a training organisation for group psychotherapists in the analytical tradition, based on the groundwork begun by S. H. Foulkes in forming the body of theory and practice now known as Group Analysis. History and ...

, which became responsible for training, including an intensive qualifying course that leads to membership of the Institute. Training activities now take place at various British centres as well as on the Continent of Europe, with strong informal links with the London Institute. The Society publishes a journal, ''

'', published by

SAGE Sage or SAGE may refer to: Plants * ''Salvia officinalis'', common sage, a small evergreen subshrub used as a culinary herb ** Lamiaceae, a family of flowering plants commonly known as the mint or deadnettle or sage family ** ''Salvia'', a large ...

. Foulkes was the first editor, and he continued to devote much energy to it until 1975, when he handed over the editorial role to Patrick de Maré. Under Foulkes and de Maré it remained a very informal publication, with a large correspondence section. It has since developed into a more formal academic publication. A newsletter, Group Analytic Contexts, is directly descended from "Group Analysis International Panel and Correspondence" (GAIPAC) that was first edited by Foulkes in 1967 in order to establish dialogue between a wide international network. It then became the Bulletin of the Group Analytic Society and was edited by

Elizabeth Foulkes Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist Ships * HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships * ''Elisabeth'' (sc ...

, the widow of S. H. Foulkes, after his death. She passed on the editorship to Ronald A. Sandison in 1988. In 1993 Anne Harrow and Sheila Thomson took over the editorship of the society newsletter, now called Group Analytic Contexts. The newsletter provides a forum for shorter and more informal communications between Group Analytic Society members from across the world and is increasingly integrated with the closed e-mail Forum for Society members. Contexts reports on the activities of GAS and the work and opinions of members. The Society works through a number of sub-committees and provides: * The Journal: ''Group Analysis'', containing papers, book reviews and international correspondence. * The International Newsletter: Group Analytic Contexts, with news, theoretical and clinical articles, reports and correspondence. Past issues are available for download from the link given below. * An International Directory of Members: with a contact person for each country. * A List of Members’ Publications Worldwide * Library Facilities * Scientific Meetings: held in London. * The Annual Winter Workshop and Summer Workshop: a four- to five-day international event. * The Annual S.H. Foulkes Lecture * Spring Weekend Meeting – Study Day * International Activities: a symposium and workshop every three years. * Affiliation to EGATIN, to the

European Association for Transcultural Group Analysis European, or Europeans, or Europeneans, may refer to: In general * ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe ** Ethnic groups in Europe ** Demographics of Europe ** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe ...

, to the

International Association of Group Psychotherapy International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations". International may also refer to: Music Albums * ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011 * ''International'' (New Order album), 2002 * ''International'' (The T ...

and to the

American Group Psychotherapy Association The American Group Psychotherapy Association (AGPA) is a not-for-profit multi-disciplinary organization dedicated to enhancing the practice, theory and research of group psychotherapy. Membership American Group Psychotherapy Association is a nati ...

. * A variety of workshops

References

{{reflist

External links

Group Analytic Society InternationalGroup Analytic ContextsGroup Analysis Journal Author Index 1967-199118th GASi International Symposium in Group Analysis, Barcelona, 2-6 September 2020
Organizations established in 1952 Group psychotherapy Charities based in London 1952 establishments in England